Blood Red version 2
by vintage demigoddess
Summary: AU, SerenaDarien pairing. Serena's out for the night and she meets Darien. Problem is he's a vampire and he's decided that she's his prey for the night.
1. Chapter 1

Blood Red (version 2)

AU, Serena/Darien pairing. Serena's out for the night and she meets Darien. Problem is he's a vampire and he's decided that she's his prey for the night.

12 midnight. High pitched giggles could be heard from as a woman staggered drunkenly along with her handsome companion. She looked dazedly into his midnight blue eyes as he pushed her against a brick wall, the cold shocking her system as it seeped through her clothing. A silvered ray of moonlight caressed her skin as his hand traced the smooth planes of her face. Upon reaching her chin he applied more pressure, gently encouraging her to tip her head back and expose her slender neck as an offering, her pulse fluttering rapidly as he blew directly over it, his cool breath skimming over the flushed surface. A soft sign escaped her parted lips, breaths coming in hollow pants as he placed a feather like kiss on her neck while his hands roamed until one framed the curves of her waist and the other tangled itself within her fiery red curls. He placed another open mouthed kiss on her throat that was like ice: chilling upon her skin, but burning as her blood flowed faster, heating her body till the ice quickly doused the heat again. She felt him grin against her neck and her hands moved to anchor themselves within his silk, raven locks, pressing his lips harder against her the nape of her neck. A scream left her lips, eyes widened in shock and her body jerked backwards, only for her to find herself trapped within a steel embrace as fangs penetrated her skin. His velvet lips created a seal, a fine tremble travelling through her body as more and more blood was suctioned into his eager mouth. As her body suddenly gave way, he tightened his grip until her lax body was braced against his hard one. Her eyes fluttered closed and she took be last shaky inhale before she succumbed to the ever enclosing darkness.

Letting her body collapse to the rat infested pathway he tipped his head back, eyes closed and fangs glistening red in the light as he basked in the moonlight and the afterglow her death had provided. It was the ultimate high; experiencing the rush of death coming to embrace her body. Alive, he felt so alive as his heart gave out a slow pulse for time that night. Blood coursed through his veins, coating their sides with the sticky liquid. Taking a deep breath he released it in a cloud of crystallised smoke, a tingling sensation spreading throughout his body, blanketing him in delicious warmth. His lips were swollen as he ran his tongue over them, the sweet, metallic taste of fresh blood combined with its thick texture reminded him of warm blackberries encased in a thick crust and dusted with icing sugar. A pale finger rose to trace the trail of cooling blood on the woman hollowed neck as he crouched over the bloodless corpse, her lips already tinting blue round the edges. His cobalt blue eyes stared emotionlessly at her figure, his face contorting into a look of disgust as he considered the pathetic sight she made sprawled on the ground. Standing back up he flashed dimpled smile as the sound of drunken humans registered in the dark crevices of his mind, along with four little words: The hunt was on.

House Parties amused him. They were always the same: drunken bodies littered in doorways, their incessant rambles adding to the laughter and off key music provided by the over paid and lyrically challenged DJ, the "dance floor" swamped by bodies grinding up against the nearest warm presence, people backed up against walls, desperately trying to find comfort to chase away the harsh realities of life, rooms occupied by bodies already passed out due to their excess alcohol intake or occupied by couples who had given into their temptations and needed instant release, someone dry heaving into the toilet, their bodies limply hanging over the toilet rim, eyes burning, mouth thick and cottony, throat burning as the sickly, sweet smell of vomit perfumes the air. Shaking his head he delved deeper into the house's interior, flashing dimpled smiles here and there at the scantily glad females that were all vying for his attention, while his telescopic eyes zoomed in on their many flaws, none of them meeting his standards, and entered up in front of an understated door.

He sensed a lone female presence inside the room and creaked open the door, allowing some light to slither in behind him and shadows to flitter across his face. The presence he'd sensed was lying prone on a bed in the middle of the room. Her body was framed by golden tresses that hung down to the backs of her knees. His gaze travelled up her small feet clad in black heels, along her toned and slender legs, over her khaki shorts that hung low on her hips, up past her toned stomach that was exposed to his eyes, across her breasts that were gently brushing against the silk of her beige camisole with every inhale. His eyes trained in on her satin pink lips, over her dainty nose and finally into her wide almond shaped eyes, black in the shadows caused by the light streaming in behind him and staring directly into his. Amusement crossed his features as her eyes flickered over his body in an exact replica of the way he'd looked over hers. The silence between them was comforting as he moved to lean enticingly against the door frame, watching as she pushed herself into a sitting position, swinging her legs over the side of the bed. He could see that her hair was pulled back from the front leaving her porcelain skin to be admired by seeking eyes. She stood in a fluent movement, facing him across the room; she truly was an angel and he flashed her a dimpled smile, which widened as he heard her heart beat faster and faster, forcing more blood to be pumped round her body until a delicate rose blush stained her cheeks. He took in a sweet scent of apples, pears and peaches with every inhale and it was slowly beginning to overwhelm his senses until the point that he knew he'd found his prey for the night, after all she was only a little kitten, probably waiting for the right kind of guy to "pet" her. Her hands moved over her body as she self-consciously tried to smoothen out her clothes and hair. A sudden burst of laughter burst the foundations of the oasis the two seemed to be caught up in and watched as she took confident steps towards him, past him and out into the bright hallway. Glancing back at him one last time she became lost in the crowd.

Left in the shadows he felt his fangs lengthened at the thought of a hunt. His prey? The petite blond that had just sashayed past him. He felt a small tremble rake down his spine, each of his vertebrates locking into place at the thought of being able to plunge into her body in more ways than one. Shaking his head, he reigned in the beast that was prowling inside him, coaxing him to find the girl and take her, whether she was willing or not, but his more… humane side knew that he'd have to take a more subtle approach than that if he wanted to feed tonight.


	2. Chapter 2

He saw her again as he waded his way through the sea of crowd that had formed a circle around the centre of the 'dance floor'. Some how he ended up on its inside and gazed enthralled at the stunning beauty from before dancing seductively to the music pumping out of the speakers. Her hips twisted round before they snapped to the side, her body preformed sensuous rolls, arms and hands caressing the air in delicate movements and her hair swirled around her like a river of molten gold, following the swaying of her hips as they held the eye captive. Faster and faster she spun, gathering momentum till she finished with a sharp snap of her hips entreaty to the music. Her cheeks were flushed rose pink, hair floating freely around a body covered in a fine sheen of perspiration, lips were partly open and her chest heaved in contention for air. As if she could sense his gaze her eyes flittered his way locking onto his. Would she be quiet and shy, playing the role of the bashful lover or would she be wild and passionate, screaming his name to the heavens before he made a double plunge, his fangs sinking into her vein as he sank into her exquisite little body. The thoughts flashed clear in his eyes like neon beacons and he saw her look away as a tinted blush tainted her cheeks, before she lifted her eyes and met his gaze head on, her eyes a vibrant blue, darkening rapidly as the kept themselves locked onto his. The sight of her tongue coming out to lick her bottom lip in an unconscious invitation had him making his way over to her side. His movements were graceful, predatory, his hair hanging sexily in front of his cobalt eyes, an aura of mystery surrounding him. She blinked slowly, her eye lashes fluttering delicately across her pale cheeks allowing him to appear behind her undetected. His head dipped low to the uncovered skin on her shoulder, a fruity scent drifting up from her skin and hair, invading his senses, clouding his mind. Brushing her hair delicately off her shoulders he felt her shiver as his cool breath tickled her slightly, while his hands slid round her waist to rest on her stomach. She half turned as he softly whispered "Hello little one", a soft sigh escaping her lips before she turned fully in his embrace. His ice cold eyes latched onto hers and he felt his power surging awake at the thought of another victim. His eyes seemed to glow brighter as he entered her mind and he felt her mind and body grow weaker and more willing at his presence. She was a fascinating creature, simple, peaceful, so unlike the other women of her time. Taking her hand he lead her out into the piercing chill, wrapping his arms around her as he felt her shiver in response to the drastic change in temperature. His leather cushioned feet made no sound on the pavement in stark contrast to the steady clicking of her heels. It was a short walk to his sleek black car and it was quite easy to usher her into the passenger sheet. He could feel her body heating up as he relayed images of what the two could do in a darkened room with the scent of sex lingering in the air and the sound of sheets slithering across skin echoing in conjunction to breathy moans and groans. She moved restlessly in the seat as he drove, her thighs rubbing together as if to create some much needed friction to ease the pressure building up inside, head lolling on the head rest behind her, teeth sinking into her bottom lip as she tried to disguise her reaction to the images in their heads. The screeching of his tires was the only indication to his presence at the party as the rest had been clouded out by his powerful mind.

She was slammed back against the door after he'd locked it, her back arching as she succumbed to his advances. Their harsh breathing the only sounds in the deafening silence, as well as the sound of clothing being torn off bodies. His hands fisted in her hair and used it to anchor her lips to his in a wet, messy kiss, their tongues duelling for dominance, before moving to place soft kisses up and down her slender neck. His soft kisses turned into soft nips and then those turned into bites, her soft moans spurring him on. Wrenching himself away from her body her pulled her into a darkened room and tossed her onto the bed. She landed in the middle of his silk sheets, barely having time to brace herself before he covered her body with his. Their clothes seemed to melt away and their bodies pressed together with a sense of urgency. The tension present in both their bodies intensified till the point that they were almost choking on it. He peppered kisses all over her body while she rained kisses down on his. The coolness of the silk sheets contrasted to the heat pouring of their bodies in waves as they continued the move against each other. Her hips ground into his while her pushed upwards, resulting in the two of them being locked together. He pulsed inside her hot cavern as an earthy moan forced its way out of both their mouths. Moving in tandem they built up a slow rhythm that left them panting for move. Every rotation of her hips added to the pressure building and every upwards thrust of his hips sent them spiralling further over the abyss. He half rose up to nuzzle his lips against her neck, rubbing his nose against the long strands og her golden hair, her legs moving to wrap themselves around his back as he continued to push upwards into a seated position with her in his lap. The change of position was all that was needed for her to tumble over the edge and plummet into the comforting darkness below. He felt her tighten around him and that's when he struck. His fangs plunged into her carotid artery plunged once more into her body, before joining her on her journey into the unknown. His tongue lapped up the rich blood welling up from the dainty fang marks in her neck, latching his mouth around them he sucked her blood faster and faster into his body feeling in filling up his empty veins. Her blood was an aphrodisiac: igniting his senses to the point that he was caught in a hyperawareness. He flipped them over so that she was withering underneath his body. He tipped his head back and roared to the heavens as he continued to move faster and faster inside her body, her blood providing him with a new leash of energy, her voice climbing another up octave. Glancing back down at the goddess staring wantonly back at him, eyes hooded with lust, lips a swollen red, hair spread out around them like a halo, breasts taunt and begging to be touched, long, slender legs tangled with his... There was no way in hell that he'd get rid of this one………… No way.

The liquid gold rays of the sunlight burst into the room, harshly nudging the girl awake from her deep sleep. Groaning, she stretched her arms above her head and tried to recall the memories of last night. Drawing a blank she spread her arms in a wide circle till they ended up behind her and realised for the first time that what she was sleeping on wasn't a bed. No, she was sleeping on the chiselled chest of man that was clearly taller than her, judging from the legs that lay tangled with hers. Startled she realised that she wasn't feeling a heart beat underneath her hands and that there was blood caked around his lips and down his jaw onto his chest. Raising a hand to her neck, she felt a sharp twinge and hastily brought her hand towards her eyes. Dried blood lay flaked on her fingertips. The blood in her veins instantly turned to ice, before she gathered her wits about her, found her clothes and fled from the apartment. Not realising that she'd dropped her wallet in the process.


	3. Chapter 3

Contrary to popular belief not all vampires couldn't come out during light; only the weaker ones. So when he woke up that afternoon, he knew that there should have been a warm body cuddled into his side, that there should have been a repeat of last night's mind blowing activities and then there should have been a quick mind sweep to erase the memories of last night and this afternoon before he sent her on her way, allowing him to find another victim. Unfortunately, his bed partner of last night was no where to find, in fact, the sheets beside him, though warm against his ice cold body, were still colder than they should have been, indicating that she'd been gone for quite some time.

She had to be found.

He couldn't leave her with the knowledge that she possessed…… It just wasn't an option to leave her with the memories of last night, not unless he converted her over to his ways. Just the thought of her as one of them tightened his body as he thought of her embracing the seductive nature of his kind. Stretching, he slid out from under the silk sheets, and began to pad out into the bathroom, when a small rectangular shape caught his eye. Frowning he searched his memory for any possible reason to it being there but drew up a blank. Stooping, he scooped it up into his large hands, recognising it to be a wallet he opened it up and gazed at the information presented in it. A slow grin tugged at the corner of his mouth as he stared down at a picture of the woman from last and information of her name, age and most importantly her address. He licked his lips and caught the tangy taste of her dried blood on the tip of his tongue. His mind and body responded to it instantly as flashes of last night came back to him. Smouldering eyes glanced back at the picture of her in the wallet.

"Well Miss Rose, it seems as if we'll be meeting again sooner than you thought."

His grin widened into a full blown smirk, before tossing the wallet onto his sheets and strolling into the bathroom.

--------------------------

Confusion. Fear. The rapidly cooling water spiralled down her body as she sat under the jet spray. The bitter saltiness of her tears mixed in with the clean water as she cursed herself for her stupidity over her actions of last night, yet she couldn't shake the terror of waking up on top of a dead man, blood caked to both their bodies. Her body was drained of energy and her hung limp, shielding her body from the outside world. Sniffling, she managed to drag herself out of the shower, infuse some warmth into her body with the help of a tattered old towel and dried her hair. She climbed into her cotton sheets, feeling them catch slightly along her naked body. Her tummy rumbled in protest due to her lack of food, but she had no energy left to move again. Dropping the towel in a heap on the floor she felt a huge cloud of exhaustion settle over her body and like a lead weight dropped dead; tumbling into the realm of nightmares, dreams and fantasies.

Sweat soaked the sheets as it rolled down her body in miniature rivers due to the dangerous rise in her body's temperature. Her hair was plastered to her body, skin flushed as she tangled herself up in the moist sheets. Her breathing sped up as she experienced an adrenaline rush in her dreams. She arched her back in a sharp snap and a silent scream left her mouth, a mixture of both pain and pleasure. Her hands grappled at the sheets as she tried to find something to anchor her down, her head tossing from side to side as one word escaped her parted lips, "no". Her eye lids fluttered before she snapped open her eyes, her pupils dilated completely as she stared blankly out into the darkness. Her breath came in harsh pants, images of the dream flashing through her mind endlessly. She could feel it still…… still taste it: the sweet metallic taste of fresh blood. Yanking the sheets aside she stumbled into the bathroom, switching on the blinding light. Taking a couple of seconds to regain her senses she was finally able to navigate her way towards the mirror and what she saw froze the blood flowing through her veins.

Her once golden hair was now a mass of silvered tresses curling gently down her back, her skin was like moonlight, pale, luminous and clear of any blemishes, lips a crystal pink, body more curved and toned, eyes a deep midnight blue. But that wasn't the problem. The problem was her heightened senses: she was able to see every strand of fibre in the mirror's oak frame; she was able to pinpoint every grain of sand in the mirror's surface. She could see the air particles move as her harsh breathing disrupted their currents. Her ears pricked as they tuned into the sounds coming in from the side walk outside, her nose picked up the lingering smell of wild berries from her body wash, a body wash she'd used over 5 hours ago. Stepping back in wonder she continued to observe her surroundings, looking at a things she'd seen for the past year or so in a whole new light. Like a child experiencing something new, she let out a joyous giggle her worries forgotten in an instant until she moved back into the bed room and was hit by waves of agony in her stomach; it was if someone had hooked her up to a grapple and then yanked it clear out, slicing her insides on the way out, as if a red hot poker had been buried deep inside her body, its embers searing her insides.

She collapsed to ground by the bed, her hands fisting the sheets as she tried to find an anchor to ground the pain. The soft cotton prickled her skin as she battled the intense hunger inside. Her breathing was ragged as she closed her eyes in a desperate effect to stave of the pain. She could sense the haemoglobin in her red blood cells inflating and deflating as oxygen diffused in and carbon dioxide diffused out, but to her astonishment she could sense this process winding down as if it was grinding to a halt. Suddenly her head snapped up as she smelt the most delicious smell: it was intoxicating, overpowering, something one would kill to possess in their collection and before she knew what was happening she was straddling a warm body, her lips pressed against their neck, feeling the ever increasing flutter of their pulse before her lips. It was as if her lips contained their own pulse that was racing in time to the one that beat beneath them, a primal dance forged between both her lips and the pulse that tightened things all over her body. One strong arm came to wrap around her body while a large had gently tangled itself within her now silvered curls, pressing her face closer to their neck. She felt something slip from between her lips before they pierced into the skin presented to them. A joyous explosion pulsed through her body as the first sweet taste of blood dripped onto her tongue. As she continued to suction the blood into her willing body she felt the person beneath her moan, their breath coming in harsh pants. Now that she could feel the blood flowing through her body she felt her mind swim through the haze that seemed to have clouded her judgement, suppressed her mind and pulled back sharply to meet fiery blues eyes; eyes that she would have recognised everywhere. His lips quirked into a satisfied smirk as his husky voice slithered out into the room:

"It is done."


	4. Chapter 4

The smooth baritone of his voice flowed over her skin like melted chocolate: velvety and oh so dangerous for my health. As if it was something you could wrap yourself in, something to _play_ in. Something was wrong, but for the life of her Serena couldn't think what. The sound of his voice combined with the gentle caress he was administrating to her lower back and the blood rushing through her veins combined once again to suppress her thoughts. She felt as if she was missing something important, something that was now crucial to her life, but for the life of her she couldn't think what. All she could feel was an all encompassing _need_, a need to have him deep inside her again and again and again. Until they were so physically exhausted they wouldn't be able to move, all they could do was reveal in the pleasure that was sure to come soon. Gently she rocked her hips against his, awareness glittering in the depths of her eyes as they locked onto his, an answering heat clear in his. Her breathing sped up in anticipation, body already flushed with heat as she rocked more earnestly against him. His hands tightened around her waist, fingertips digging into her sides until she was sure she'd be bruised, before one of his hands reached up to grasp her hair and pull her ace towards his, his lips capturing hers in an explosive kiss. Without warning she found herself lifted and then impaled onto him.

In the dregs of her mind she found herself questioning how quickly he'd unbuttoned his pants, but the part of her mind that was driving her body down paid no heed, only striving to ease the burning deep inside her. He didn't move, instead focusing his attention of tracing every crevice of her mouth, the kiss becoming messy as they both spiralled out of control. Lack of air wasn't really a problem and that was put to good use by holding the kiss for an unprecedented length. Again some part of Serena's mind questioned this new found ability and again that small part was suppressed by the part of her mind holding the reigns. His lips relocated to just behind her ear where he proceeded to nibble on a small spot that had Serena wantonly crying out, her hips beginning to thrust down on his as she took it upon herself to seek out that ultimate feeling of being complete; of feeling whole. His body responded as he continued to trail kisses along the top half of her body, allowing her to stay in the driving seat for the time being as he contented himself with nuzzling her breasts.

His breathing quickened in time to hers, his hips thrusting up harder and harder as he felt her reaching her peak. Releasing his hand from her hair he used it to trace intricate patterns down her spine, revealing in the shiver that over took her body and the throaty moan that climbed its way from her throat. An answering moan echoed hers as she sharply pulled his head up from her breasts and latched her mouth back onto his seconds before her body stiffened and she convulsed around him. His blackened eyes watched the magnificent sight she presented as she came: head thrown back, fangs glistening in the bathroom light she'd left on, hair streaming behind her like a silvered cloud, body arched gracefully in front of him, hiding nothing from his eyes. He watched as her eyes fluttered open, a smile playing on her lips as she gazed contentedly back at him. He knew that that wouldn't last once she began to regain use of her mind and wasn't driven by the need to _hunt_, but for now he concentrated on keeping her mindless, limbless and lost within the sensations being created.

Serena found herself gazing up into black eyes as he reversed their positions, allowing him to angle her hips off the mattress and thrust deeper within her body. He watched her eyes widen in shock as he began to drive into her body with single minded determination, her body still having small quakes from her first orgasm and that was only heightening the pleasure now spreading throughout her body. Cries flowed from her mouth like waters bursting their dams as she felt herself once again tumbling over the edge and deep into the abyss, this time feeling him go with her. Coming down from her high, wave after wave of exhaustion crashed into her and before she knew it she found herself embraced by the darkness. He gently removed himself from her body and rearranged them until they were both under the covers before joining her in the arms of the devious mistress, sleep.

Serena pushed herself into a seated position before realising that for the second night in a row she was waking on top of a chiselled chest…… of a man…… clearly taller than her and for the second time in a row she found blood caked across a part of her body, granted it was on her lips, but that thought only served to heighten her panic. The scream building up in the back of her throat was quickly cut off as she felt the body underneath hers stir, before arms wrapped around her waist and the chiselled came into contact with hers. Instantly her body seemed to relax as if a switch had been thrown, easing all the tension out of her muscles before she gathered her wits about her and scampered out of the bed, yanking the covers with her in an act of modesty as she stared back at the figure sitting comfortably naked in her bed. Her midnight blue eyes locked onto his rapidly blackening ones, before she let out a squeal and asked,

"Who the _hell_ are you?!"

"Darien Shields at your service."

"Let me re phrase that shall I? Who are you? How the hell did you get into my flat and please tell me that I didn't grow a pair of freaking fangs and bit you, that it was all a dream."

Darien's eyebrow rose mockingly before he answered,

"What do I look like? A genie? Granting wishes just ain't forte."


	5. Chapter 5

He watched, fascinated as her cheeks flushed a light pink and her small, plump lips pressed together to form a thin line. Her hands released the sheet, allowing it to fall to her feet as her hands clenched at her sides, eyes snapping with barely controlled rage at his indifference to the situation. By God was she hot, stood there naked and angry, her body trembling with rage. She watched as his eyes raked over her body, stopping to pause every now and again until his eyes met hers and she couldn't help but gasp at the sight of his black eyes containing barely controlled desire. Her body instantly tightened, breasts swelling, nipples hardening, moisture beginning to form between her legs. She watched as his eyes flashed and he took a deep inhale through his nose as if scenting something tempting, mouth opening so she could see his fangs lengthening.

Her anger evaporated as she stared at his fangs, fear seeming to paralyse her body while her brain functioned faster than normal, frantically issuing the command of "flight", but receiving no joy as she continued to gaze, as though transfixed, at his gleaming fangs. She didn't move as he slid off the bed and padded his way towards her, his eyes seeming to ignite something within her until she was consumed with flames.

"Come back to bed little one, we have much to discuss." Serena could only allow her herself to be tugged back onto the bed and into the cocoon of his arms. Her breath hitched as the blanket she'd dropped on the floor suddenly appeared around their bodies. When she spoke her new voice came out slightly husky yet completely void of any emotion.

"Why? Why have you done this to me?" "Well to be truthful Serena you weren't meant to live past last night." He felt her tense then and he quickly tightened his embrace seconds before she attempted to flee his arms.

"Don't worry; I've decided to keep you around for while longer. I mean it would be a shame to rid the world of something as beautiful as yourself."

"_Keep_ me? I'm not some dog that you can claim ownership over and you still haven't explained what the hell you, and now me apparently, are?"

"You still haven't figured it out yet? And I thought the fangs were a dead give away. Let's see…. How to say this… I know-" with a snap of his fingers a monstrous tome of a book appeared before them, hovering just above their tangled legs.

"Time for a history lesson little one." "Would you stop calling me that!" "Hmmmm………… No. Now where was I? Ah yes……… our history." He reached forward slightly to turn the pages of the tome before them. She was instantly aware of his sculptured chest pressing against her back and their legs tangled together beneath the sheets. As if he knew what she was thinking, his placed a delicate kiss on her shoulder blade, his hair ticking her neck and under her chin as she turned her head to face him.

Raising his head he quickly placed a kiss on her soft lips before turning back to the book. Finding the desired page, he directed Serena's attention to the words surrounding the picture of a man who looked remarkably like Darien.

"That's because it is me." She startled as she realised he'd read the thoughts in her head. "Don't worry, I'll teach you how to do it and how to shield your thoughts from others. You have no idea the powers you possess now."

Seriously unnerved she considered him for a few seconds before requesting, "Can we focus on one thing at a time please." Grinning Darien began his history lesson.

"Vampires didn't always exist, just like not all of us are bound to the realm of darkness. We came about as the experimentation of one man, you might have heard of him? Vlad the impaler? (She nodded to confirm she did indeed know the name) He experimented with bats, taking numerous samples of their saliva and blood, infusing the two before putting within his own body. At first nothing happened, it wasn't until about a year after he'd started these experiments that he began to see changes within himself, both physically and mentally."

Here Serena interrupted him, "You mean like the fangs and the telepathy and the levitating of blankets?"

"So you're not so slow after all?" "Conceding jerk" was muttered under Serena's breath, causing Darien to laugh out into the room. His laughter seemed to tighten things all over Serena's body and she was once again conscious of the position they were in. His voice came out husky as he smelt and felt her arousal.

"Don't worry little one, there'll be time for that later, now we continue with the lesson. However the changes had drastic side effects, such as the reactions to sunlight, garlic, wooden stakes, beheadings. He was able to produce an heir who inherited his unique gene and in turn his son produced a child with the genes, until the vampire known as Dracula was born."

Serena scoffed when she heard this. "So you mean to tell me that the Dracula was real, not merely a fantasy conjured up to earn mucho dinero?"

"I think I should know whether he's real or not considering he's my grandfather."

"…………………That would make you old……… as in really old……… and I _slept_ with you……… that's just gross……… I mean like major ewwww!"

"Like my age was an issue last night or earlier today when you were screaming out my name and begging for more."

"Yeah but that was before I knew what I know now." Rising an eyebrow, Darien contemplated on what Serena had just said, "Oh, so you do believe in vampires now?"

"Maybe." "Bloody hell woman, what will it take for you to believe me completely. I mean I've bitten you, you've bitten me, I've read your mind………… there's more than enough evidence there for you!"

"Yeah, but…" "But nothing woman, I'm a vampire and so are you! Heck, I'm king of the undead at the moment and I plan on making you my mate so you'd better get used to the idea."

"_King? Undead? Mate?" _Needless to say Serena wasn't conscious for long after these little bombshells. Darien quickly laid her down by his side, his hands stroking her silvered hair from her delicate face as she lay beside him. He placed a chaste kiss on her forehead before sending the book back to where it had come from and began wandering her apartment, eager to learn more about Serena.


	6. Chapter 6

**Hi, so I'm really sorry about the delay in updating this story. My excuse (and yes I know an excuse isn't really acceptable, but it's all I can offer along with this chapter) is that I've been bogged down with schoolwork, that and the fact that I have little me time between school, a part time job and trying to reach my 17****th**** birthday so I can learn to drive legally lol. **

He felt her stir before her eyes fluttered behind their lids and she stretched languidly, a jaw-breaking yawn forcing itself from her mouth. He quickly put down the book he'd been reading and made his way over to her side, eagerly watching as she laid her head on an out stretched arm and opened her eyes to stare into his rapidly darkening ones. She gave a small smile that was ten percent innocent and ninety percent wicked as she ran a finger along the arch of her neck and down the side of her body to disappear under the sheets.

His eyes followed the movement of that lone finger like a starving man, rage instantly blossoming within him at the sheet that covered his view, especially when she arched and let out a low moan. His eyes shot up to meet hers at that moan and he was rewarded with the sight of her half lidded eyes gazing straight into his. Her eyes were clearly saying come get me, but as tempting as that was they still hadn't finished their talk, though……… it wasn't as if they couldn't talk later……… his mind was quickly made up as her pants became more frequent and her moans rose in pitch. He quickly pulled the sheet off of her heated body, his eyes already locked onto the hand buried between her legs.

Giving a low growl, he moved her hand away, ignoring her soft whimpers of protest as he slid her onto her side, back facing him and manoeuvred his body onto his side until he was able to slide inside her from behind. His vision became nothing but the colour sliver as Serena flung her head back and arched against his chest, a low moan seeming to have coaxed its way out of her throat. Her pert posterior pushed back at him, encouraging him to move, something he needed no encouragement in doing.

His slid in and out of her body, trailing kisses along any available skin that somehow managed not to be covered by her luscious hair, their legs tangled together as they lost themselves in the throes of pleasure. He felt her body tighten around him and let himself go, sinking his teeth into the smooth arch of her neck, each suction of his mouth creating another wave of pleasure to go through them both. Eventually he pulled away, his hunger sated in more ways than one.

"That's one way to wake up I guess."

He chuckled into the back of her neck, delighting the way shivers emerged from the spot and travelled round the rest of her body. Pulling himself out her body he slid his hand around her body until it was resting just under her generous bosom, turning his hand until he was able to gently palm one of her breasts.

"I know you might not want to hear it but I've got to teach you the basics to being a vampire. How to hunt, the basics in how to use your core powers…"

"My _core_ powers?" "Yes, I believe that is what I said."

"Dariiieeen!" "Serreennaa!" He didn't have to see her face to know she was pouting, her body language telling him all there was to know.

"To answer you unspoken question your core powers are the ones that all vampires come with, such as simple mind control. Contrary to popular belief, the rest of your powers don't come from the person who created you, they develop themselves over a period of time."

"So basically you're saying you have no idea what sort of things I'll be able to do."

"Basically? Yes."

"Anything else your highness thinks I should know?" "Not at the moment, now you need to go take a shower while I go make a few calls."

"You best not be using my phone, my bill's already through the roof."

Shaking his head, Darien rolled off the bed, aware that Serena was watching his every move.

"If you don't hurry we're going to be late for our appointment. With that he strolled naked into Serena's living room, ignoring her question of "What appointment" and leaving the slightly annoyed owner of previously mentioned living room behind him.

Sighing, Serena made her way into her bathroom. She was still extremely confused about the whole situation, but she felt a calmness within her whenever _he_ was within touching distance. Who did he think he was anyway? Ordering her around in her own home. Huffing Serena stepped under the water, allowing it to beat out the kinks in her neck and back.

While Serena was in the shower, Darien was taking the opportunity to get in touch with the rest of the vampires within his kiss, asking them to meet him for lunch. He also took the liberty of phoning in for Serena, calling her in sick for the rest of the week. Smirking he knew, she wouldn't have been too pleased with his actions but he was anticipating the fight she'd put up after all, she was unbelievably hot when she was angry, she'd already proved that last night.

An hour later… 

"You arrogant bastard! What gives you the right to call me in sick? Some of us need the money to _survive_, never mind _live_."

He'd been right, she really was a scorcher when angry and Darien had never been one afraid of getting burned. Shaking his head, he sent her a devious smirk, something known to bring countless women to their knees, no matter their status in society, unfortunately it did nothing more than convince Serena that Darien really was an "arrogant bastard". He watched her long legs as she moved, appreciative of the extra swish her already short skirt had taken as she stomped down the street, her heels clicking along the pavement.

Before he could respond, they both heard someone calling Serena's name, accompanied by the sound of hurrying footsteps. Turning around, they both caught sight of a pretty red head moving intently towards Serena. A sound of delight escaped Serena as she moved to meet the woman half way, her own face a lighting up at the sight of the woman. Darien lent back against the restaurants entrance, observing as the two women launched into a conversation that was almost too fast to follow, neither seeming at all bothered by the need to pause and take breath.

Obviously having been forgotten by Serena, Darien grinned ruefully before he made his way to meet his friends, confident Serena would figure out where'd he'd gone when she'd finished talking. Skilfully manoeuvring his way through the restaurants many tables Darien came to a halt before his kiss; 6 individuals that he trusted with his life……… as much as a life you could get while being undead anyway.

Sitting down, Darien glanced round his friends: to his right sat Andrew, the "older brother" of the group, blonde hair, wicked blue eyes, killer smile he was model material which while helped draw in customers to his arcade, wasn't exactly needed in his line of work; next to him was his girlfriend Mina, the blonde airhead of the group, she was a model with shoulder length blonde hair, cute dimples in her cheeks and robin blue eyes; next came Lita, the tomboy who could cook up a storm… literally, her restaurant was a major hit throughout the city. Shoulder length brunette hair, warm brown eyes and a wicked sense of humour, usually aimed at the person next to her, Ami.

Ami was a bookworm as well as one of the most intelligent people to walk the earth. Her profession as a doctor did nothing to dampen her ladylike demur, though it did contrast against her dark blue hair and eyes. Raye was the firecracker; she had dark purple eyes, black hair and one hell of a fiery temper. Being Darien's baby sister did nothing more that motivate Raye to make a name for herself in the world, something she accomplished by becoming one of the most sort after models in the world.

Last came Chad, the slacker in the group, though you didn't want to make him angry or insult Raye, his girl friend. He had shaggy brown hair that often hung over his eyes and dark chocolate pools for eyes. He was often the cause of Raye's fiery temper to be ignited with his easy go personality and charming smile that had women clambering all over themselves just to be near him.

"Where the hell have you been? I've called the apartment at least six times. Was it so hard to move that lazy ass of your and return anyone of those calls?"

"Good to see you too Raye, I'm doing fine, yourself?"

The rest of the table laughed as Raye fumed in her seat.

"Judging from the smug smile threatening to split his face in two I'd wager a guess and say he was with a girl last night."

At Andrew's words, the smile on Darien's face deepened, piquing the interest of the group, but before anyone could say anything further they were interrupted by a high pitched squeal, quickly accompanied by the rush of an over made up red head as she latched herself onto Darien's arm.

"Darien darling, why didn't you tell me you were coming by hmmmm? I would have had Emerald wipe you up something _extra_ special."

Darien tried not to gag at the overwhelming smell of Beryl's perfume.

Because my plans for the day and well… the rest of my life don't really concern you Beryl, now would you kindly let go of my arm?"

Beryl pouted at his words, her eye lashes fluttering in an overly exaggerated way, but before she could speak, Darien found his lap occupied by a warm body, his vision filled with midnight blue eyes before his own eyes closed and he returned the passionate kiss placed upon his eager lips. Gasps flew around the table at the scene they were witnessing, the couple ignorant of the looks they were receiving until Serena pulled back, placing one last kiss upon his lips, her arms staying looped around his neck, feet kicking in the air slightly as they hung over his legs.

"Missed me baby?" Serena giggled at the smouldering look in his eyes, "Like you wouldn't believe _sweetheart_."

"Darien…… Who the **hell** is this? Another one of your clingy tramps?"


	7. Chapter 7

_"Darien…… Who the **hell** is this? Another one of your clingy tramps?"_

The look in Serena's eyes turned from playfully seductive to damn right hostile as the red haired _slut _dared call _her_ a "clingy tramp". Darien tensed as he watched the change in Serena's persona, there was no way someone wasn't coming out of this bruised and battered… he only hoped that it was more of a mental battering, not physical.

"I'm sorry, is there something we can help you with? 'Coz Darien's a busy man and doesn't have time for little girls trying to gain his attention."

At least someone at the table choked on their drink at Serena's response to Beryl's words, while the rest of the group looked on with varying expressions of being appalled, of respect or damn right glee at someone finally putting Beryl in her place. As it was, they all held their breath as Beryl sputtered, her eyes flashing dangerously as Serena turned her eyes from the fuming red head to her mate.

"Little girl? Little girl, if anything it's you is the little girl around here. God knows what you Darien's gonna see in you when he has a real woman right here who knows how to show him a good time."

Feeling pleased with herself, Beryl moved her hand to place in upon Darien's arm once again, only to cry out sharply as Serena locked a death grip on her wrist.

"Word of advice _sweetheart_, you want to continue using this hand and _not_ have it as a mere novelty that's _only_ good for show, I suggest you refrain from putting you hands anywhere _near_ his body." Flinging Beryl's hand away, Serena once again settled herself in Darien's lap.

"Oh? And as for showing him a good _time_, I've already got that covered, but I'm sure that there are lots of men out there who would be willing to experience the sort of _services_ I'm sure you offer, after all, everyone's got to make a living somehow and if that's the _vocation _you chose who am I to judge."

Beryl's hand whistled through the air, ready to connect with the side of Serena's face, only to be intercepted halfway there by an unyielding grip. Startled, Beryl traced the hand up to Darien's furious eyes.

"I'd also like to make a suggestion, that your hand never goes anywhere _near her_ body, because I can assure you that if it does, you will regret it. You need to leave…now."

Thoroughly humiliated, Beryl glared at Serena who had been watching with an almost childlike curiosity to see how things turned out, before she stomped her way out of the restaurant, conscious of the stares she was receiving, especially when she knocked into a waiter carrying hot soup. The following events of said collision resulted in Beryl's tight black dress gaining a pea green colour to its pallet. A banshee like shriek erupted through from her throat as she stared at the ruins of her dress before she continued on her way.

"Please tell me she never made that sort of noise when you were sleeping with her."

Laughter rang out around the table, who had all been watching the scenes adamantly, all except from Serena who had slid of Darien's lap at hearing of his past exploit with the woman and from Darien who was trying to cajole her back onto his lap.

_Come on babe, it was a long time ago, way before I met you. _Darien's telepathic plea fell on death ears as Serena continued to ignore his presence.

"So Darien, who's the chic?" "Yeah Darien, aren't you gonna introduce me to your friends" The dangerous glint in Serena's eyes left Darien with little choice, his shoulders slumping in defeat whilst inwardly smiling proudly at Serena, she was one hell of a woman; definitely no push over and more than suited to be his mate.

"Guys, this is Serena… Serena this is my kiss, otherwise known as Andrew, Mina, Lita, Ami, Raye and Chad."

"And what are we supposed to do with a name? She'd better not be another one of your floosies Darien."

Darien glared at his sister as the rest of the table squirmed uncomfortably in their seats.

"Let me guess, you're either an old lover or, as I'm more inclined to believe, his sister, probably his _baby_ sister." Serena's calm words were slightly distracted as she looked through the menu on the table. Silence coated the table as they all stared at Serena, before looking over at Raye and then back towards Serena. They were still eager to see the face of the mysterious woman; none of the table having seen more than a glance of her face as she'd been perched on Darien's lap, that combined with the fact that she'd hid behind her hair and now behind the menu was increasing their anticipation, 'coz let's hand it to Darien, he was always seen with some hot chick on his arm.

Raye raised her eyebrow as she regarded the woman sat opposite her. Never before had any of Darien's girls so flippantly disregarded her words, instead they always whined and complained to Darien, about the lack of respect, or her personal favourite after turning to Darien saying "How dare she, baby tell her not to talk to me like that."

As if conscious of her gaze upon her Serena put down the menu and lifted her gaze to meet Raye's flicking her hair back from her face at the same time. The silence seemed to become even more ominous as the group finally looked upon Serena's face even Raye's eyes widening as she stared at the most beautiful woman she'd ever seen. As if sensing her thoughts Serena raised one of her eyebrows, a mischievous smile gracing her lips as she shifted her gaze to take in the rest of the table.

"Ummmm, If you'll excuse me, I'm gonna go use the little girls room." Not waiting for an answer Serena sashayed away from the table, unaware of the looks she gained as she passed each table on her way, heck, even the waiters were finding it hard to tear their eyes away from the silvered haired goddess before them, something that lead to the second collision of the day.

"Dear God!" "Damn!" "Is she for real?" Andrew, Chad and Mina's exclamations seemed to amuse Darien as he took in the shell-shocked faces of his friends.

"Something the matter?" His tone was only just this side of being mocking, something that didn't go unnoticed by Lita.

"You know damn well what's the matter!"

"Oh? And prey tell Lita, what is this matter that you seemed utterly convinced I know about?"

Despite the joking light in his eyes, his voice had taken on a dangerous purr.

"What's the matter? What's the _matter_? Please tell me I wasn't the _only_ one who wanted to throw her down on this table and fuck her senseless?"

Andrew's words were met by stunned silence before Chad let out a "hear hear" at the same time Mina smacked Andrew across the back of the head and Darien let out an angry growl.

"Down boy." Darien's growl deepened at Lita's words, alerting the rest of the table to his unhappy mood.

"Whoa! Chill out Darien, I mean if I wasn't straight I would definitely want her for a night or three." Amy looked up from the doctoring magazine she was currently reading, noticing the incredulous stares directed at her. Quickly going over the conversation that had been taking place she blushed as she recalled the words she'd meant to mentally contribute were verbally contributed.

Mina chuckled with glee as she watched one of her closet friends squirm in her seat with embarrassment, her cheeks flaming red, while the rest of the table were just glad that her words had managed to calm Darien down, nothing good came out of an angry Darien.

Darien opened his mouth to speak, but the tingling awareness of Serena halted the words in the back of his throat, especially when her hand skimmed the back of his neck and his eyes closed in pleasure, a low groan filtering into the atmosphere. He turned his head and opened his eyes to see Serena's soft gaze on his, her eyes seeming to flicker with joy and Darien knew that she was experiencing the link between the two of them, something he suspected was due to her being his mate, not mate as in someone he liked and claimed, but mate as in soul mate, that one person predestined for him and completed him in every way.

He ignored the looks he sensed the rest of his kiss was sending him at acting so out of character, but he couldn't help it, not when she was around and touching him like that so gently… so lovingly. With a sigh he gently grasped her hand, bringing it up his lips and turning it over so he was able to place a butterfly kiss on her wrist, his eyes gazing intently into hers, allowing him to witness the look of pleasure, but more importantly the joy, that blossomed there at his actions.

Turning back to the rest of the table once Serena sat back down, he proceeded to call over the waiter and begin ordering food, knowing that his mate was ravenous and so was he. A soft murmur wafted from the table to join the other conversations from the restaurants other customers. Darien just sat back and watched as Serena seamlessly joined in, his friends happily welcoming her as one of them. Now all he had to do was tell them he'd turned her into vampire, something he was sure wasn't gonna go down all to well, but when Serena turned her head and gave him a sweet little smile, he found that he just couldn't regret his actions as he just didn't care.


	8. Chapter 8

Lunch was a success, a weight seemingly lifted off his chest as he watched Serena happily chat away with Mina, occasionally allowing herself to be pulled into one of the various conversations going on around her. The group was currently walking down to the local ice cream shop, Serena's baby blues managing to convince them all that sundaes was something that they all needed to have. Lost in his thoughts, Darien almost failed to notice the incoming football…… _almost_, with lighting quick reflexes, Darien dodged the ball, his hands coming up to literally pluck the football from the air as it zoomed past his head. Glancing around for the culprit, Darien wasn't surprised to see the grinning faces of Chad and Andrew, however he was surprised to see the familiar yet scarcely seen midnight blue hair of Sapphire.

Sapphire was one of the groups closest friends, his intrinsic nature meaning he preferred to go it alone, belonging to no ones kiss in particular. He'd been offered several places in several kisses, turning each one down politely enough that he was able to seek help when the need arose. But, it wasn't Sapphire's stunning good looks and numerous talents that caused him to bond more with Darien's kiss than any of the others, no, it was the deep seated hatred that the two men held for Diamond, Sapphire's own brother and the reason Sapphire had first been ousted of his original kiss.

Mentally shaking his head to dispel the thoughts hoping to take residence, Darien tossed the ball back to its owner, taking Sapphire's mocking smile as a challenge. Eyes gleaming, Darien glanced around his surroundings and spotting the park, ambled over to it, his voice calling back to the group to follow. Contagious grins flashed across all the guys' lips as Darien shrugged off his jacket, stretching his neck as he waited for the rest of them to join. The girls, minus Lita, sat on the grass as the guys, plus Lita, engaged in a competitive footy match, tackles flying all over the place, every man for himself with Lita in the make shift goal.

Lita's reflexes were amazing and Serena commented on them, listening as the girls regaled her with tales of Lita's rather _colourful_ past, giggling whenever one of the guys made a fool of himself. About an hour later, the guys began taking off their shirts; sweat dripping down their muscular bodies as they upped the ante of their game. Serena felt herself growing warmer and squirmed in her seat, pleased to find she wasn't the only one affected by the sight if Mina's "Fuck, they're hot" and the agreeing murmurs of Raye and Amy were anything to go by. But she wasn't so pleased when she caught the lustful murmurings of a gaggle of girls who were also admiring the lush sight of the guys playing football.

Seeming to sense her anger, Raye followed Serena's glare and felt her own anger stir as she watched one of the girls playfully twirl her hair round her finger as she sent Chad a wink, something his was quick to reciprocate with a grin that had the girls swooning. As the rest of the girls joined in with charming the guys Serena felt her glare deepen, the arrival of Lita from the goal doing nothing to disturb the murderous images shooting through her mind at furious speeds. Somewhere along their link Serena caught the distant feelings of smugness from Darien. He knew that she was watching as some floozy laid her hand on his arm and he was enjoying her jealousy. Fuming, Serena forcefully turned her eyes away from the scene, searching for something to occupy her mind with and found the perfect distraction in a group of good-looking lads who periodically looked their way.

Smirking to herself, she nudged Mina and indicated the guys with a casual tilt of her head. She watched as Mina assessed the guys critically before an evil smile found its way across her lips. It didn't take someone with a genius IQ to understand Serena's silent message and considering the group actually held a genius that was saying something. Almost as one the girls rose to their feet, dusting themselves off before proceeding towards the guys. The guy's attentions switched from the admiring girls before them to the approaching beauties, waiting for the girls to claim the guys as theirs as they normally would in this sort of situation. So it was absolutely _no_ surprise when the girls bypassed them without as much as a look their way. Stunned the guys watched as they girls chattered between themselves before approaching a group of guys hanging out behind where they'd just been playing football.

Apprehensively, they watched as the guys literally came to life, inviting the girls to join them… and join them they did, the girls all managed to pair off with someone, engaging them in conversations, all the while managing to touch their chosen person various times during the conversation. That coupled with the fact that they were giving off sultry laughs and smouldering come hither looks was enough for the guys, who were fuming as they watched their girls, in the case of Andrew, Chad and Darien or their potential girl in the case of Sapphire with Amy flirt with guys who obviously weren't them. Not even bothering to say bye to the girls they'd been chatting with, the guys collectively made their way towards where the girls were now sitting.

A sly smirk appeared on Serena's face as she leant forward to whisper something into Seiya's ear. She could feel Darien fuming through their link and was innately aware of his approach. Turning to face the guys as the stopped by the group, she raised an eyebrow, querying their actions.

"Is there something we can help you with gentlemen?" Raye's calm voice did nothing to hide the underlying threat it contained. She flickered her hair back and leant more solidly onto Jedite's embrace, enjoying the look of pure outrage that appeared on Chad's face. She turned her head and found her brother glaring rather heatedly at Serena and the guy next to her, surprised that the guy hadn't vaporised already, the glare was that intense. Surveying the rest of the group, she saw Mina already arguing with Andrew, Amy having a seemingly heated discussion with Sapphire and Lita thoroughly enjoying herself while she snuggled up against one of the new guys, named Alan, gleefully watching the proceedings.

However, before Raye could contemplate more on the potential of Lita and Alan hooking up, she was rudely pulled out of her thoughts by Chad grasping her wrist and literally wrenching her out of a very disgruntled Jedite's grip. Huffing, she yanked her wrist out of his hand before storming away, fully aware of Chad's angry form striding behind her and so missed Darien literally hurling Serena over his shoulder and carrying the protesting blonde away from the equally protesting Seiya.

Darien's smirk was cold as he felt Serena's little fists thumping against his back, her ass swaying near his face as she desperately tried to get him to put her down. Angered at her earlier flirting with someone that wasn't him and tiring of her constant squirming, Darien laid a very firm smack to her butt, pleased when she instantly stilled in disbelief at his actions. It wasn't until he caught a fleeting thought along their link, that Darien realised that that might not have been the wisest thing to do. Sighing, he put her back on her feet and wasn't at all surprised when she whirled on her heel and stormed away from him, Darien hurriedly moving after her, his hand managing to grasp her upper arm and pull her round to face him. Her eyes were blue eyes, a fire snapping vividly in them as they regarded Darien, her whole body tense and radiating her anger at his actions. _God she really was beautiful like this._

Looking away, he released her arm, running a hand through his hair before glancing back at her, not surprised that her expression hadn't changed in the slightest. Heaving a sigh her mentally informed her that he'd take her back home.

Darien winced as she slammed the car door. Fuck. Wearily dragging his body out of the car, he ambled up to her apartment, glad that he hadn't been trapped in the lift with her as he was sure he wouldn't have survived. Slightly pleased that she'd left her door open for him, he was unprepared for the sight of her clothes littering her floor in an obvious trail to her bathroom. A grin burst onto his face, until he tried the bathroom door and found it locked. Cursing loudly he was sure he heard say the words "that'll teach him, egoistical jerk" over the spray before he let his head rest upon the door.

No he had two options, to "magically" open the door using his powers and endure her wrath or to let her cool down and come to him…… guess which one he chose.

Serena let out a startled scream when she felt his body pressed up against her back, her head whipping round to stare at him. How dare he have the audacity to ignore her wishes of wanting to be alone. Shaking with fury she spun round, her hands attempting to push him away, but finding her hands locked in his much larger ones as he hooked them round her neck and lifted her up, his hands now wrapping round her legs and forcing them around his waist. She looked down, angrily startled into his eyes, unable to look away from the anger clouding his own eyes. She cried out as he harshly thrust up into her, his hands on her hips roughly guiding her down to meet his thrust to increase their pleasure.

Unable to look away, Serena rode him hard and fast, their anger seeping out into their movements as she quickly reached her peak, a scream ripping its way out of her throat and only looking away as her eyes closed and he groaned before pressing a stinging kiss to her lips. Lazily opening her eyes, she realised that Darien hadn't reached his peak yet, something further emphasised as he continued moving in and out of her body, building her body back up until the two of them came together, their breathing harsh in the small space her bathroom provided.

She unwrapped her legs from around his waist and slid down his body, shivering as her still sensitive body reacted to his. She watched through hooded eyes as he let out a small groan, his own eyes hooded as he gazed down at her.

"We need to talk."


	9. Chapter 9

_"We need to talk."_

"What could we possibly talk about hmmmm Darien? The fact that I've become a vampire over night? Or the fact that I'm the frigging _mate_ to the vampire _king_? Or could it be the fact that we seem to be fucking like rabbits constantly!"

Darien couldn't help it but he wasn't listening to her talk; he'd become somewhat distracted, sure she was standing before him fuming and he should have been fearing for his life, but it wasn't the standing before him that distracted him, oh _no_, it was the standing before him _naked_ that had his head tilting slightly to watch as her breasts jiggled when she stomped her feet at the end of her mini rant. Shaking his head, he came to his senses as Serena began walking away from him, annoyed at his lack of attention and response. If only that was the case, he was responding all right, just not in the way he should have been given the anger seeming to cloak itself around her like a well used blanket.

"Serena wait."

"For what? You to stop ogling my boobs?"

Serena's eyes narrowed as Darien opened his mouth to respond.

"I'd think long and hard about your next words Darien Shield 'coz they just might be your last."

Darien supposed that if his heart still had a beat it would have just skipped one… or maybe three or four at her threat. Sure he was a vampire, heck he was the vampire _king_, but they still had no way of knowing what Serena's powers were and provoking her till the point of using them against him, well it just wouldn't qualify as the smartest thing to do now would it. Keeping that in mind, he decided to rethink his choice of words.

"Look Serena, we really do need to talk, especially seeing as you are now the Queen of the entire vampire race."

From the rapid way her face paled, a commendable feat for any vampire, Darien guessed that her being the Queen to his King hadn't really crossed her mind and he seriously didn't know whether to laugh or cry at this moment in time, though the decision was made for him when Serena turned to walk away from him and her legs crumpled underneath her.

Using his enhanced speed, Darien was able to catch her before she hit the ground completely, his arms protectively tight around her naked body, scooping her up into his arms, he walked over to the bed, ignoring Serena's small protests and weak assurances that she was now ok, her midnight blue eyes gazing unfocusedly into the atmosphere. Reluctant to leave her side for any given amount of time Darien went in search of some clothes she could wear, eventually coming up with a baggy t-shirt and some pyjama shorts.

"You know a couple of days ago I was an _ordinary_ girl, with ordinary friends and an _ordinary_ job. Now, I'm a vampire queen, mated to the vampire king with vampire friends." Her voice was little more than a whisper on the wind, yet he heard it loud and clear, wincing as she stressed on each "ordinary".

Though her general lack of emotions was causing _his_ emotions to fly of the scale, rocketing right from sorrow through anger to fierce love for his mate, heck, he couldn't even _feel_ her emotions; it was like she was one big black hole, void of anything and everything.

"You know…… maybe we should spend some time apart. Give me a proper chance to accept-"

"No." The words were out of his mouth before she'd even finished talking.

Her eyes were startled as they lifted to meet his; shocked at the steely resolve they saw there.

"But…"

"No."

"Please…"

"I'm sorry Serena, you have no idea how sorry I truly am, but there is no way I can allow us to part."

"It's not like I'm asking for a _divorce_ or something like that. I just want a little time to myself. Just to process all that's happened recently-"

"No."

"But…"

"If something was to happen to you because I wasn't around to stop it, I'd never forgive myself." Shaking his head at the thought of Serena becoming injured, when he could have done something to prevent it, Darien once again gave his answer.

"No."

"What if I allowed the girls to stay with me? That way you don't have to worry about my safety."

Darien looked to the sky as if seeking divine interference before he peered back down into the disheartened eyes of his mate. Sighing, he knew there was no way he was gonna deny her her request, no matter the utter devastation of his heart breaking at the thought of being separated from his mate.

"Fine, have it your way. The girls go with you everywhere… and I mean everywhere, you take a piss one of them had better be watching, you understand. And you're gone for no more than 2 days-" Darien held up his hand to halt her protests at the time limit, "-that's non negotiable Serena, just be glad I'm letting you out of my sight at _all_, never mind 2 _days_."

Nothing more was said as Serena watched Darien become fully dressed with nothing more than an _un_exaggerated wave of his hand. Her eyes fluttered shut and a single tear began a slow descent down the smooth plane of her cheek, as he bent down to place a soft lingering kiss on her forehead, before he walked out of the door, his emotions unreadable as she watched him go.

It was raining, that was the first and only thing she really noticed as she woke up that day, her finely tuned senses tapped into the therapeutic rhythms that the individual droplets of rain made as they encountered various surfaces to land on. Sighing, Serena pushed back the bed covers and desolately made her way towards the bathroom. Flicking on the light, she winced as its harsh glare momentarily blinded her. Blinking rapidly, Serena waited for the spots dancing before her eyes to disappear before she made her way over to the sink, shocked at the gaunt image that greeted her as she caught sight of herself in the mirror.

Vampires were meant to be ethereal creatures, beautiful to the point of pain, blinding the eye with every glimpse, but tempting you to keep looking back anyway. So how come she didn't feel very beautiful? How come the sight that greeted her when she looked in the mirror was of an ordinary girl with bags under her blood shot eyes from hours of crying the night before, how come her silvered hair was tangled beyond repair, knotted and gnarled, her cheeks blotchy, skin too pale, something she would have laughed at if she wasn't feeling as if someone had reached into her soul and snapped it in half, while all the while knowing that the someone was her.

She couldn't feel him; no matter how hard she'd tried yesterday, she couldn't feel him at all. When she'd asked for space, she meant physically, not mentally too, something she was quickly finding hard to cope with. Turning on the tap Serena proceeded to wash her face, not at all startled when she heard someone knock on her door having sensed Raye and the girls as soon as they'd entered her apartment building. With her head hanging over the sink, her hair trailing and sticking to the wet surface of the porcelain, Serena debated whether to go and open the door to them or not. Despite her promise of having the girls _baby-sit_ her she was loath to face any person right now, whether they be friend or foe.

It wasn't until she heard the gentle sound of her front door clicking shut and the sound of voices getting nearer did she realise that while she had been debating with herself, the girls had decided to take matters into their own hands. Sighing, Serena fumbled around in the mirrored cabinet above the sink until she found a thin head band and slid all her hair back, feeling some of the wet tendrils stinging as they slapped against her t-shirted back. Closing her eyes, she braced herself for what was to come… though when she made her way out of the bathroom and into her living room, and almost tripped over the beach ball lying harmfully in the middle of the doorway, did Serena realise that no amount of bracing would have prepared her for the sight before her very eyes.

Lita was literally chasing Mina around the room, objecting flying in every direction as Mina scrambled for her life, not caring about the welfare of the various objects Serena had collected over the years… objects that held sentimental value now crashing to the floor as Raye screeched in the back ground, trying, and failing, to the get the two girls to stop and "quit damaging Serena's apartment", her arms waving in the air in exaggerated movements, while Amy stood adrift from the rest of them, her head held in her hands as she prayed diligently to what powers may be to spare her from Serena's wrath when she saw what they'd done.

Serena's knew her eyes were startled as she watched the proceedings going on before her, though they quickly became enraged as the sight and sound of her most beloved music box crashed to the ground, it's once harmonic melody dieing on an unearthly squeal.

"Enough… just enough."

Her quiet voice had the same effect as if she'd yelled out into the chaotic atmosphere: All activity halted immediately as the four girls swung their heads to look at their new friend, heads hung low in a meek show of apology before each of them snuck a quick glance up simultaneously, immediately began clucking around her like mother hens, commentating on her pale complexion and voicing their very different opinions on Darien's actions, even though she knew - and she was sure they knew - that her current state was something she'd brought upon herself. Sighing, she untangled herself and but some distance between her and rest of them, eyeing them almost warily as she finally registered the fact that the beach ball, was a) not hers and b) not the only beach accessory that was littered around her apartment's floor.

"Ummm guys, what's with all the beach stuff?" Now Serena wasn't as stupid as people like to believe about women with her hair colour, before she became a vampire that is, was; she had some incline into what the stuff was doing in her apartment and she was vehemently praying to the same powers that be as Amy previously had been that they _weren't_ planning on taking her to the beach. Because someone who was taking some time from their life mate didn't want to be seen in public, especially an over crowded, child infested, single jerks populated public place. No, there was no way that they'd do this to her in her current condition………

"Oh, isn't it obvious, were going to the beach." Mina cheerfully clarified for Serena.

………Oh _fuck_ the powers that be, this was now personal 'coz when she got her hands on those in charge there'd be some 'xplaining to do, that was for sure.


End file.
